Help Translating Waffen SS Diary

[Project154]

Hiltraut,

Wow! Thank you so much. That's a group of some highly decorated men. I don't know what I would do without you!

This man's handwriting is tough for me to understand so if you get a chance to look it over and are able to understand it and can let me know what it says, that would be amazing

T.D.

Project15450.jpeg

[Hohlladung]

Hiltraut,

Really good work so far.
Allow one remark. These names are all pilots of Rudel's SG 2 "Immelmann":

Fritz (Friedrich) Lang I./SG 2 (12.01.1915-29.12.2003)
Helmut Fickel III./ SG 2 (27.11.1921-06.04.2005)
Kurt Plenzat 2./SG 2 (17.01.1914-17.11.1998)
Heinrich(-Wilhelm) Stähler 7./SG 2 (23 09.1922-27.08.1978)
Eginhard Weißmann I./SG 2 (28.04.1923-06.02.1998)

Couldn't make out Herbert J....

T.D.:
Can you post the page left to the signatures?

Best regards
Armin

[nichte]

What I read.
I think it leans on a quotation by Friedrich Nietzsche.
I could not decipher the signature.

Hiltraut
——————————————————————

Ich habe den Glauben, dass wir
nicht geboren sind glücklich zu sein,
sondern nur unsere Pflicht zu tun,
und wir wollen uns segnen wenn
wir wissen, wo unsere Pflicht ist.

Heilbronn 11. 8. 45

….. …..
[signature]
----------------------------------------------
Reference
Nietzsche, F., Briefe. An Carl von Gersdorff, 4.2.1872
“Im Übrigen habe ich den Glauben, dass wir nicht geboren sind glücklich zu sein, sondern
unsere Pflicht zu tun; und wir wollen uns segnen, wenn wir wissen, wo unsere Pflicht ist.”

[Project154]

Hiltraut and Armin,

I cannot thank you enough for all your help! Armin, of course I can post the other page, it is below:

Project15451.jpeg

After doing some research just now, could our unknown "Herbert J.." be in fact, Herbert Bauer? It appears a Herbert Bauer was a Hauptmann and Gruppenkommandeur of the I./Schlachtgeschwader 2 "Immelmann"? I was unaware of just how decorated they all were! Too bad Rudel hadn't signed it with them!! Hah

It seems so many of the entries in the diary quote Nietzsche! He must have been very popular with German's, I had honestly not heard of him before, forgive me

Again, I cannot say it enough how thankful I am. Perhaps this leaves the last major mystery of the diary, and the one that I have spent many hours trying to figure out....the name of the owner and principle writer of the diary!

I only have one page with his full name, and it must be almost impossible to read. There is this second page with runes on it, which also may spell out his last name??

Hermann2.jpeg

Hermann1.jpeg

If either of you are able to give me your best guess as to what his name may be? HIs first name is guaranteed to be Hermann, I believe? His last name may be some variation of Searge?? I have spent much time researching those names and various spellings to no affect.

I believe he may have been with the 5th SS Wiking, and may have eventually reached Officer as he was in that part of Camp Heilbronn. Your best guess on what his name may have been would help me so so much. Thank you for all you have done - T.D.

[Hohlladung]

Hi T.D.,
Yes, this is Herbert Bauer (16.04.1919-24.03.1997).
Here you can see his signature for comparison:

https://www.huesken.com/shop/de/autogra ... 37174.html

Then this last signature is solved also.

Best regards
Armin

[GregSingh]

About the runes:

S
ae, ei, ch
A
R
G
E

Perhaps it's Scharge?
Other combination do not have much sense...

[nichte]

That was great combination, GregSingh!
It is now very possible to read the last name in his signature as "Scharge".

Hiltraut
------------------

[Project154]

INCREDIBLE!!

I believe the mystery has FINALLY been solved!! It appears the name, is in fact, Hermann Scharge. I have found some documents online that indicate he was a Luftwaffe pilot, and was at least awarded with Iron Cross 1st Class, Front Flying Clasp in Gold, and Bandenkampfabzeichen (Bandit-Warfare Badge, which to be honest I had not heard of before?)

GregSingh, thank you SO SO much for helping to solve the mystery! For the life of me I could not understand that signature hah. You have solved a question that has been bothering me for quite a while now so THANK YOU!!

Hiltraut and Armin, and everyone, I am forever indebted and grateful for all the help and work you have done to translate and figure out the signatures and what the journal says. This website truly is the world's best resource for all things related to the war. The work people are doing to help preserve the memory of what happened during those years is amazing.

It seems Hermann had more of a role as a trainer in a flight school and sometimes performing reconnaissance duties. Though this still doesn't explain why he seems to be wearing an SS uniform in some photographs.

I have seen online a couple different units he was part of, if anyone knows the what the following abbreviations stand for, that would be very helpful too:

Ausb.Abt.Lftfl.N.Sch.2
1.Fl.Komp

4./Fl.Geschw. z.b.v.7
D A S

Thank you all soo so much!
T.D.

[Hohlladung]

T.D.

Regarding 4./ FlGeschw. z.b.V. 7 you will find an old thread here:

viewtopic.php?t=52607

Best regards
Armin

[Project154]

Hello All,

I hope you are all doing well. There hasn’t been much activity in this thread lately, but I was looking over the journal once more and there are still a number of pages untranslated, so I thought I would pop one up here in case anyone wishes to transcribe what the German writing says here (I know it looks quite difficult to read) or post a brief translation of what it says? It looks to me to be written to his love, Elisabeth? Thank you all so much!

T.D.

DB93478E-91F5-4FCC-A07F-507A2B2B07DC.jpeg

[nichte]

What I read.
Feel free to correct.
Hiltraut
----------------

Kriegsgefangenen-Lager
Heilbronn, Offz.-Camp, 6.VII.45

Liebe Frau Elisabeth!
Lichte Gedanken sind Götterboten in
der augenblicklichen Atmosphäre geistiger
Verwirrung und seelischer Depression -
wenn man sie hat!
An Deinem heutigen Geburtstag,
..… Frau, waren meine Gedanken bei
Dir - schmerzlich, aber herzlich und in-
nig. Ich bin überzeugt, Dir geht es gut
und wünsche sehnlichst, daß dies im neu-
en, schweren Jahr Deines opferreichen
Lebens so bleibt und wir uns in Bälde
gesund wiedersehen.
Die vergangenen acht Wochen
einer unwürdigen Gefangenschaft haben
mir Zeit zur Genüge gelassen,mit den
….. von Gedanken und seelischen “Er-
lebnissen”, an denen das Bewußtsein
zu scheitern drohte, fertig zu werden.
Es ist mir zwar nur unvollkommen
gelungen - insofern ich den höheren
Sinn aus dem Bereich der sittlichen
Weltordnung absolut vernichte - jedoch

[Project154]

Thank you, Hiltraut, and to everyone, for all your help over the months and years. I thought I would post a little followup from what I believe to be an interesting conclusion to this diary.

The owner and primary author is Hermann Scharge, a Luftwaffe pilot. What I find strange is why he appears to be wearing an SS uniform in many photos. Early war photos of him found online show him wearing Luftwaffe clothing, so these must be late war photos. I did discover that he flew in Fliegergruppe z.b.V. 7 / Fliegergeschwader z.b.V. 7 , (and was awarded the Bandenkampfabzeichen) which provided air support to the SS, so maybe some these men felt more of an allegiance to the SS over the Luftwaffe, but who knows. They did report directly to Himmler, perhaps he required them to wear SS uniforms? Or else Hermann decided to on his own. Either way I should clarify: this is more of a Luftwaffe diary/journal, of a man who worked with Waffen SS.

If anyone has seen this before, of a memeber of one unit wearing the uniforms of a different one, do let me know.

And again, my sincere thanks for everyones help. The people on this website are the “greatest generation” of internet users

[Project154]

One more little discovery.

I found this entry and signature at the bottom of some sayings by Friedrich Hölderlin. I know it looks almost impossible to translate as the handwriting is brutal, if Hiltraut or anyone can make it out, would be amazing! My main question is the signature attached to it.

In my eyes it looks like the last name could be Pfeffer? Does anyone else agree? Or does anyone read that name as something different??

I am curious as Franz von Pfeffer was interned at Heilbronn during the time this was written. So technically it is possible it could be him. Any input would be so greatly appreciated! -TD

F4D04DAC-11B8-4DE6-82A2-B5A81BD1B4FC.jpeg

[pusher]

The owner and primary author is Hermann Scharge, a Luftwaffe pilot. What I find strange is why he appears to be wearing an SS uniform in many photos. Early war photos of him found online show him wearing Luftwaffe clothing, so these must be late war photos. I did discover that he flew in Fliegergruppe z.b.V. 7 / Fliegergeschwader z.b.V. 7 , (and was awarded the Bandenkampfabzeichen) which provided air support to the SS, so maybe some these men felt more of an allegiance to the SS over the Luftwaffe, but who knows. They did report directly to Himmler, perhaps he required them to wear SS uniforms? Or else Hermann decided to on his own. Either way I should clarify: this is more of a Luftwaffe diary/journal, of a man who worked with Waffen SS.

If anyone has seen this before, of a memeber of one unit wearing the uniforms of a different one, do let me know.

I am a bit of a rookie when it comes to research WW2 so this info may not be helpfull. Byt anyway... I have noticed Luftwaffe staff that are deployed as guards at Mauthausen sub camps as SS late in the war around summer/fall 1944. I read a report that the SS was shocked cos there was alot of drinking and women with eastern nationallitys was sneaked in to the quarters. I will see if I can find it somewhere.

[Project154]

I am a bit of a rookie when it comes to research WW2 so this info may not be helpfull. Byt anyway... I have noticed Luftwaffe staff that are deployed as guards at Mauthausen sub camps as SS late in the war around summer/fall 1944. I read a report that the SS was shocked cos there was alot of drinking and women with eastern nationallitys was sneaked in to the quarters. I will see if I can find it somewhere.

Well thank you for the input friend! I had not realized that so that is a new topic I will also do some research in! I appreciate all the help -TD